Opening Academic Year and Alumni Day 2017

On 19 October, the official opening of the academic year 2017-2019 took place. 114 new MSc students from 39 different countries were welcomed by the IHE Delft Rector Prof. Eddy Moors and the president of the Student Association Board, Juma Mdeke. Keynote speaker Prof. Rob van Tulder from the Rotterdam School of Management spoke about us living in a 'VUCA' world. This years Alumni Award was presented to Dr. Arie Setiadi Moerwanto from Indonesia. He is currently the Director General of highway engineering at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in Indonesia.

Professor Eddy Moors opened the ceremony for the first time in his role as Rector. He stressed the importance of diversity in education and to support each other. He pointed out that the Institute is actively involved in implementing the Sustainable Development Goals related to water, and how to measure what has been achieved.

Invited guest speaker Prof. Rob van Tulder introduced the audience to the term VUCA world, which stands for Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. "We are trying to make sense of the constantly changing challenges brought on by politics, economics, society and the environment," says Rob van Tulder. You can view this as something negative that sparks conflict, or something positive, and use these changes as a merit good with opportunities for investment.

Student Association Board Juma Mdeke addressed the new students and gave them a warm welcome. "IHE Delft is the place where water professionals meet, water connects us here," says Juma Mdeke.

The afternoon was concluded with the Alumni Award Ceremony. The award is given annually to an alumna/us who is at the height of her or his career and has proven to be a role model for other water professionals, by demonstrating the impact of her/his work in a water related field, to improve people's quality of life. The 5th Alumni Award was given to Dr. Arie Setiadi Moerwanto from Indonesia. Dr. Arie Setiadi Moerwanto is Director General of Highway Engineering at the Ministry of Public Works and Housing in Indonesia and former Director Water Resource Management. He completed his MSc. studies in Hydraulic Engineering at IHE Delft in 1990. He is the first alumnus from Asia to receive this award.

Dr. Moerwanto: "Studying at IHE Delft gave me the confidence, knowledge and experience that shaped my career and inspired me. All the problems I encounter now in my job, from dirty waters to traffic jams, I am not afraid to tackle them after my time at IHE Delft."